As AFCON 2025 moves into the knockout rounds in Morocco, one question still hangs in the air, who will finish as the tournament’s top scorer?
After a group stage built on balance rather than brilliance from one standout, the Golden Boot race is as open as the competition itself.
Three familiar names lead the way, all on three goals. Morocco’s Ayoub El Kaabi and Brahim Díaz have shouldered home expectations with calm authority while Algeria captain Riyad Mahrez has once again shown his comfort on the continental stage.
El Kaabi has been clinical, scoring when Morocco needed control. Díaz has offered something different drifting, creating and finishing with intelligence.
Mahrez, ever composed, has guided Algeria through a perfect group campaign, his goals arriving at key moments.
But none has broken away. Behind them is a crowded pack of 13 players on two goals, showing just how spread the scoring has been.
Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman, Côte d’Ivoire’s Amad Diallo, Tunisia’s Elias Achouri and DR Congo’s Gaël Kakuta are all in the mix.
So too are proven stars like Mohamed Salah and rising names such as Nicolas Jackson, alongside breakout performers including Lyle Foster, Oswin Appollis and Lassine Sinayoko.
Experience and promise sit side by side, with no single figure dominating the spotlight.
That spread has shaped the tournament. Goals have come from everywhere wingers, midfield runners and strikers often shared across teams rather than carried by one talisman.
Many group matches stayed tight deep into the second half, decided by moments rather than gaps.
The picture widens further, 53 players have scored once. It is a clear sign of a tournament driven by teamwork and flexibility where opponents struggle to predict the danger.
Now comes the hardest part. Knockout football narrows space and raises pressure. Chances are rarer, margins thinner.
The Golden Boot may not go to the flashiest forward, but to the one who stays sharp when it matters most and scores when everyone else is watching and waiting.
